Tag Archives: Gujarat

Gujarat becomes the first state to distribute 2 crore LED Bulbs under UJALA

31 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by in Current Affairs, Gujarat, INDIA, NATIONAL NEWS

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Under the Government of India’s UnnatJyoti by Affordable LEDs for all (UJALA)scheme, Gujarat has become the first state to distribute 2 crore LED bulbs. Gujarat has reached this milestone in just 96 days andover 42 lakh households have already benefitted from the scheme.Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the administration of Ministry of Power, Government of India, is distributing approximately 2 lakh bulbs daily in Gujarat which is again a record in itself.

During his speech in Jamnagar the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said, “There is competition between states to outdo each other in terms of LED distribution. Gujarat, in less than 100 days is now leading in terms of LED distribution across the nation. I congratulate the entire team for implementing the LED Bulb programme. I am confident that every household in Gujarat will adopt LEDs and save on electricity bills. The state will save a lot of energy and will also lead the way in helping protect the environment”

The distribution of 2 crore LED bulbs has led to an annual energy savings of 259 crore kWh which is equivalent to lighting up 5 lakh Indian homes for an entire year. Alongside the savings in units, the state has also benefitted from daily CO2 emission reduction of 5,000 tonnes.The programme has also helped the state to avoid 520MW of peak demand.

In Gujarat, 9W LED bulbs are being distributedunder the UJALA scheme. These energy efficient bulbs come with a free 3 year replacement warranty for any technical defect. To avail the bulbs, consumers have an option of paying upfront amount of Rs. 70 per bulb or they can choose an EMI option. Consumers choosing to pay through EMI will have to pay Rs. 75 in total, where an amount of nearly Rs. 20 per LED bulb will be added to their bi-monthly electricity bill for a period of 4 bill cycles. Consumers stand to save nearly Rs. 336 every year on their electricity bills per LED bulb, making the LED bulbs free to the user in just 3 months. The state government aims to distribute 12 crore LED bulbs across the state. This would lead to energy savings of nearly 650 Crore kWh and cost savings of about Rs. 2,500 crore.

The list of other distribution centres can be viewed on www.ujala.gov.in. For any queries or information regarding UJALA consumers can also call on the Gujarat helpline 0265- 2343678. During the distribution period, replacements can be done through any of the distribution counters that are operating within the city.

Under UJALA, over 15 crore LED bulbs have already been distributed across India. This is leading to annual energy savings of 1948 crore kWh and resulting in avoidance of 3,900 MW of peak demand. Through the programme the estimated cumulative cost reduction of bills of consumers, annually is INR 7990 crores

 

NHRC notice to Gujarat govt. over separate Anganwadi for Dalit children

10 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Communalism, Social Inclusion

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NHRC notice to Gujarat govt. over separate Anganwadi for Dalit children
10 Nov 2015

New Delhi, 10 Nov 2015: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the government of Gujarat over separate Anganwadi for Dalit children in Patan district of the state. The NHRC has sought report within two weeks.
The rights body has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that in Hajipur village of Patan district in Gujarat there are two separate Anganwadis, one for the children of Dalits and the other for the children of other castes.
A few weeks ago, a three-year-old Dalit girl, lost in conversation with her four-year-old neighbour and friend, walked towards Anganwadi No. 160 but was stopped at the gate and asked to go to Anganwadi No. 159, the Anganwadi for the children of Dalits. The Anganwadi No. 160 is meant for the children of Patidar and Brahmin castes.

“The Commission has observed that the contents of the press report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of Dalits. Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the Secretary, Department of Women & Child Development, Government of Gujarat calling for a report within two weeks,” the NHRC said in a statement on Monday.

According to the media report, carried on the 5th November, 2015, in Hajipur, a village of about 2000 people in Patan district of Gujarat, Patels and Patidars constitute nearly 70 per cent of population, whereas the 40 Dalit houses are spread over in two mohallas of the village. Anganwadi No. 159 came into existence in 1997 and three years later Patidars and the Brahmins demanded a separate Anganwadi for themselves and moved into the premises of the adjoining primary school. The Anganwadi No. 160 now shares its space and entrance with the school and its boundary wall separating the two Anganwadis.

In the recent weeks, the Patidars have staged massive protests across the state demanding the BJP government of Gujarat to ensure reservation for them.